The Cleveland Browns have already gotten the best of the Pittsburgh Steelers once this season.
Now, they will look to do the same, this time on the road.
That will be easier said than done, as the Steelers’ offense is hot right now, and the Browns have struggled to beat them on the Steelers’ turf.
On top of that, star WR George Pickens will pose a perennial big-play threat.
And given his well-documented antics and how quickly he snaps to fight other players, defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz wants his players to stay disciplined throughout the entire game (via Scott Petrak):
“Emotions are going to be high. It’s Cleveland-Pittsburgh. We need to play with emotion, we need to play with an edge but be careful about crossing line. Can’t hurt your team with penalty,” he said.
#Browns DC Jim Schwartz on #Steelers George Pickens: Emotions are going to be high. It's Cleveland-Pittsburgh. We need to play with emotion, we need to play with an edge but be careful about crossing line. Can't hurt your team with penalty.
— Scott Petrak ct (@ScottPetrak) December 5, 2024
Pickens has crossed the line between being physical and just flat-out fighting repeatedly this season, and he could’ve or should’ve been suspended multiple times because of it.
He likes to get chirpy and looks to get into the opposition’s head.
Of course, that’s fair game, but he won’t hesitate to get dirty and throw punches, even when nothing is happening, as it’s been shown on tape multiple times.
Conversely, he also tends to let his emotions get the best of him when he’s frustrated, so the Browns’ defensive backs will need to be extremely disciplined and not allow him to get his way.
It won’t be easy, as he’s as talented as he is physical.
But the Browns need to be almost perfect to win this game, including not giving up free yards.
NEXT: 2 Browns Players Returned To Practice On Thursday
